Cornell (20-8-6) vs. No. 1 Mercyhurst (30-2-3)
2010 NCAA Women's Frozen Four - Semifinals
March 19, 2010 - 5:00 p.m. CST
Minneapolis, Minn. - Ridder Arena
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CORNELL VS. MERCYHURST GAME NOTES
TOP STORY: The top-ranked Mercyhurst College women's hockey team faces ECAC Hockey opponent Cornell in the semifinal round of the 2010 NCAA Women's Frozen Four on Friday, March 19 at Ridder Arena. Mercyhurst enters the game with a 30-2-3 record and an 11-0-1 all-time mark against Cornell. Both teams met earlier this season, with the Lakers prevailing 4-1 at Lynah Rink in Ithaca, N.Y.
This is the Lakers sixth consecutive appearance in the NCAA Division Women's Hockey Championship, and second straight trip to the NCAA Women's Frozen Four, after defeating Boston University, 4-1, in the NCAA Quarterfinals last weekend. Mercyhurst dropped its first four national quarterfinal contests by one goal each, with the initial three happening in overtime. The team broke through last season, advancing to the 2009 Women's Frozen Four Championship Game, defeating St. Lawrence and Minnesota and falling to Wisconsin in the title game.
If the Lakers defeat Big Red they will advance to play the winner of the second semifinal contest between Minnesota and Minnesota Duluth on Sunday, March 21 at 12:04 p.m. for the national championship. MC posted a 5-4 NCAA victory over the Golden Gophers last season and split a two-game series against Duluth back in October this year.
THE BIG 5-0: Vicki Bendus scored her 50th career goal Saturday March 13 in the NCAA Quarterfinal win over Boston U., making her the eighth player in program history to top 50 goals in a career. Teammate Jesse Scanzano scored her 50th goal during a hat trick at St. Lawrence Dec. 12, 2009. Scanzano currently has 60 career tallies, and is tied for fourth in program history. Meghan Agosta paces the Laker record book with 119 goals, followed by Valerie Chouinard with 91. Stefanie Bourbeau is third with 64 goals, while Scanzano and Samantha Shirley are tied for fourth with 60 goals. Sara McDonald (54), Stephanie Jones (54) and Bendus round out the 50-goal club.
FIVE TIMES THE FUN: The Lakers have five 20-goal scorers this season, setting an NCAA Division I record for most 20-goal scorers on one team during the same year. Since 2000-01, when the NCAA first sponsored women's ice hockey championships, only five teams had had four 20-goal scorers during one season, with three of the five winning a national championship in the process. The 2008-09 Wisconsin Badgers national championship team was the last team to have four players score 20 or more goals. Hilary Knight (45), Brooke Ammerman (27), Meghan Duggan (23), and Erika Lawler (20) all eclipsed 20 goals for the Badgers last season. The 2002-03 Minnesota Duluth and 2003-04 Minnesota Golden Gophers each had four 20+ goal scorers on the way to a national championship. Mercyhurst's previous high for 20-goal scorers was 2008-09, when Meghan Agosta (41), Jessie Scanzano (27) and Valerie Chouinard (21) did so.
ROAD SUCCESS: Mercyhurst has experienced great success when playing away from the Mercyhurst Ice Center this season. The Lakers hold a 13-0-2 record when playing as the road team and a 3-0-0 mark when playing on a neutral site. At home, MC is 14-2-1, with both losses coming by a goal, to Niagara (2-1) and Minnesota Duluth (4-3).
PATTY KAZ WATCH: The Lakers' Vicki Bendus is a top-3 finalist for the 2010 Patty Kazmaier Trophy. Bendus, a junior forward from Wasaga Beach, Ontario, ranks near the top of the NCAA leaderboard in almost all offensive categories. She is tied for the nation's lead in points (65) and shorthanded goals (5), second in points per game (1.86), third in assists per game (1.06) and fifth in goals per game (0.80). Bendus was also named the College Hockey America Player of the Year and garnered First Team All-CHA honors.
Mercyhurst has now had a top-3 finalist each of the last four seasons, as Meghan Agosta was one of the top three players in the nation from 2006-07 through 2008-09. Lakers Bailey Bram and Jesse Scanzano joined Bendus as top-10 candidates this season. Agosta was a top-10 finalist during the past three years, and goaltender Desi Clark made it to the top 10 during 2005.
JUST WIN, BABY: Sophomore Hillary Pattenden has been a force since coming to Mercyhurst. This season she is 29-2-3 with a 1.57 goals against average and a .922 save percentage. Her career record stands at 53-5-3. She has set a single-season program record with 29 wins this season, breaking Laura Hosier's mark of 27 in 2006-07. She became the first Mercyhurst freshman goalie to win 20-plus games last season. The Surrey, B.C. product recorded a 24-3-0 record with a 1.95 goals against average and a .906 save percentage. She was also the first Laker netminder to win an NCAA Tournament game, defeating St. Lawrence and Minnesota to advance the team to its first national championship appearance.
She holds an .893 all-time winning percentage, which is slightly higher than the current NCAA career record of .885, held by Christine Dufour of Wisconsin. Additionally, she is creeping up the career wins list, sitting third at Mercyhurst and in the top 20 in NCAA history. Pattenden, with over two years remaining, is 38 wins from Jessie Vetter's NCAA Division I record of 91.
MAN DOWN: Opponents should beware when being awarded a power play against Mercyhurst.
The Lakers have scored nearly as many times on the penalty kill (21) as opponents have scored with an extra skater on the ice (24). The team's 21 short-handed goals are the most by a Laker squad in program history and the most by a team in NCAA Division I history.
This season, Bailey Bram and Vicki Bendus share the national lead with five shorthanded goals apiece. The last time two teammates had five or more shorthanded goals during the same season was 2004-05, when Minnesota's Krissy Wendell (7) and Natalie Darwitz (5) did so, aiding a national championship team that set the national record for SHG's at 19, since broken by the 2009-10 Mercyhurst team.
The Lakers have had a player lead or share the national lead in shorthanded goal in three out of the last four seasons, with Meghan Agosta tying for the national lead in 2006-07 and 2007-08.
SHOOT THE PUCK: The Lakers' 19 shots in their game against Cornell Oct. 23 was just the 17th time in program history that an opponent limited them to 19 shots or fewer in a game. Mercyhurst is 6-11 in those contests, with wins over Princeton (1-0), St. Lawrence (3-1), Cornell (4-1), Niagara (3-0; 2-1) and Ohio State (2-1).
MERCYHURST VS. ECAC HOCKEY: The Lakers have done quite well against competition from ECAC Hockey this season, going 9-0-1 in five two-game sets. The Lakers posted sweeps against Rensselaer, Cor- nell, Colgate and then-No. 10 St. Lawrence by a combined score of 30-8. They're only tie came against then-No. 4 Clarkson, 5-5, following a 6-3 win over the Golden Knights.
STAYING PERFECT: Cornell is one of 15 teams Mercyhurst is undefeated against. The Lakers are unblemished against Cornell, Hamilton, Holy Cross, Manhattanville, Ohio State, Quinnipiac, Rensselaer, Robert Morris, Sacred Heart, Syracuse, Union, Vermont, Williams, Wisconsin - Superior and Yale.
